Christmas cooking the fun way

Tags

are easy to make, bake, baking powder, baking trays, caster sugar, cheese, cheese stars, cherry tomatoes, Christmas tree cookies, Christmas tree cuter, cling film, cook, cookies, cream, cucumber, decorate, dough, drinks, eat, eggs, escaping, family and friends, festive fun, fridge, friends, goodness, grated cheese, herbs, homemade biscuits and snacks, icing sugar, jolly, look good, love, messy, mild cheddar, milk, mix, mozzarella, mug, parchment, pens, plain flour, pre-made puff pastry, pretty boxes, recipes, salt, school party, scrubbing, sift, silver balls, silver foil platter, star cutter, stars, super healthy, table salt, tissue paper, tree, tree trunk, unsalted butter, vanilla extract, veggie, winning treats, wrap, yellow pepper

This year, why not impress family and friends with homemade biscuits and snacks, and as well as saving yourself some money, you can have festive fun too? We have several tried and tested recipes we love, and hope you will too!

Christmas tree cookies
These cute cookies look good, taste great, are easy to make and even the youngest members of the family can get involved and help you to decorate them!

For these winning treats, you will need:

470g of plain flour
1 level teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of table salt
225g of unsalted butter
300g of caster sugar
Two medium eggs
Two teaspoons of vanilla extract
A Christmas tree cuter
Colouring icing sugar pens
Silver balls

Sift together the baking powder, flour and salt. Cream together the butter and sugar until you have a light and fluffy mix, then beat in the eggs (one at a time) and finally stir in the vanilla. At this point you can then slowly add the flour mix, and when you have a ball of dough, wrap it in cling film and put it in the fridge for around an hour.

When you get the dough from the fridge, pre-heat your oven to 200 C / gas mark 6 /180C fan and line two baking trays with parchment paper – this means the cookies will slide off once cool and you won’t have any nasty pan scrubbing to do.

Roll out the dough on a floured surface and cut out your cookies.

Bake for about eight minutes or until the edges are just turning light brown, and transfer from the baking trays to cooling racks.

Decorate with the icing pens when the cookies are completely cool and put on the little silver balls for an added touch, then either eat them (fast) or put them in pretty boxes with tissue paper and give them out as presents!

Cheese Stars

For the school party, or drinks with friends, these easy to make cheese stars are winners.

You will need:

A pack of pre-made puff pastry
One mug of grated cheese – a mild cheddar / mozzarella mix works well
Flour for dusting
2 table spoons of whole milk
A star cutter

It is best to make these on the day of eating, so when you are ready, preheat the oven to 200C / 180C fan / gas mark 6 and line two baking sheets with parchment paper, or grease them with a little butter.

Next roll out the sheet of pastry and put your grated cheese on half of it, fold it over and then on a floured surface, gently roll to around double the size. At this point just make sure no cheese is escaping from the sides as this can get messy in the oven! Next, cut out star shapes from the folded sheet and place on the baking sheets, brush with milk and cook for around ten minutes. You can add some herbs or salt to the tops of the stars if you like! They will last for a couple of days in a tin, but we don’t think they will be around that long!

Veggie Tree

For something super healthy for the party table, you can’t go wrong with savoury festive tree made with goodness and love.

For this you will need:

Lots of cherry tomatoes – cut in half
Green grapes – cut in half
A yellow pepper with a piece of the flesh cut into a star shape
Half a cucumber
Salsa
A large silver foil platter

Chop a 5cm piece of cucumber and place it at the bottom of the foil platter to make the tree trunk. Then you need to make a row of tomatoes and grapes to make the first part of the tree, and then add more layers, each one shorter than the last so you end up with a cute Christmas tree shape. At the top you can add your yellow pepper star, then serve with the salsa and the rest of the cucumber cut into sticks! This looks fun and jolly and also help to keep up your five a day!

Got a recipe you love, let us know about!

Team Pure Beauty

Get the party started at Pure Beauty

Tags

awake, bag, bar, beautifully natural golden glow, bounce, Clary Sage, conditioned, conditioning cleanser, dance, dead skin cells, Decleor Body Firming Oil-In-Cream, Decleor Gradual Glow Hydrating Body Milk, delicate fragrance, Dermalogica Conditioning Body Wash, Dermalogica Daily Cleansing Shampoo, Dermalogica Daily Conditioning Rinse, Devils Apron Seaweed, diary, drinks, dullness, elasticity, Elemis Devils Mint Body Scrub, Elemis Exotic Frangipani Monoi Body Cream and, essential oils of Tea Tree, eucalyptus, events, exfoliation, Extracts of Vanilla, firming oil-in-cream, floral scent, foaming lather, fresh, gentle massaging movements, glows, gorgeous moisturiser, gorgeous products, Grapefruit Essential Oi, healthy and sun kissed, infuse softness, January, lavender, lemon, light, little black dress, look your best, Magnolia Essential Oil, manageability, natural moisturisers, New Year celebrations, nourishing, occasions, office Christmas lunch, orange, parties, party season, Peppermint Essential Oil, perfect dress, purify, quick shower, rich, robust, rosemary, Sandalwood, shiny hair, shoes, showering, silicon-rich sea plant particles, skin firmness, smell, smooth, soap free, soft and silky, sulfate-free shampoo, sunbeds, Tahiti, travel sizes, wash bag, wash your hands

Have a look in your diary and we are pretty sure that from now until January you will have a whole host of festive parties and events to attend. From the office Christmas lunch and drinks with the neighbours, to nights out with the girls and New Year celebrations, this is a busy time of year and it is only natural that you want to look your best.

As well as choosing the perfect dress, finding shoes you can actually walk in and a bag that works for all occasions, you want your skin to look great too. At Pure Beauty, we sell a range of gorgeous products which can help do exactly this.

If you only have time for a quick shower before heading out to a party, may we suggest you use the Dermalogica Conditioning Body Wash. This rich, conditioning cleanser is soap free which means it leaves your body feeling soft and silky every time you step out of the shower. Essential Oils of Tea Tree, Lemon, Eucalyptus and Rosemary purify without stripping natural moisturisers, while Sandalwood, Lavender, Orange and Clary Sage leave your skin conditioned, smooth and smelling great. With travel sizes on sale too, you can pop it in your wash bag, get ready after your last meeting and still look fresh and awake when you arrive at the bar.

If it is smooth skin you want, look no further than the Elemis Devils Mint Body Scrub . Packed with silicon-rich sea plant particles, Devils Apron seaweed and Peppermint essential oil, using this scrub will not only clean your skin, but take away the dead skin cells that cause dullness too. Use in the shower and follow with the Elemis Exotic Frangipani Monoi Body Cream and your limbs will feel satin soft, look silky smooth and you will smell amazing and you dance the night away.

For fresh, shiny hair, look no further than the Dermalogica Daily Cleansing Shampoo. Suitable for everyone, this nourishing, sulfate-free shampoo has a robust, foaming lather that is packed with moisturising oils which infuse softness, and manageability. Follow with the moisture rich Dermalogica Daily Conditioning Rinse for an added bounce, shine and delicate fragrance.

If you want skin that glows, without the damage caused by sunbeds, why not try the Decleor Gradual Glow Hydrating Body Milk? This gorgeous moisturiser not only offers socks into the sink and offers intense nourishment but it builds a beautifully natural golden glow that is perfect for the party season. Extracts of Vanilla from Tahiti have been blended with Magnolia Essential Oil to create a rich, softening lotion which sinks into your limbs and helps them look healthy and sun-kissed. This body milk is best applied to dry skin after exfoliation and showering, using gentle massaging movements evenly over the body and do remember to wash your hands after use.

If you want to firm up your skin before slipping into that little black dress, you might want to consider trying the Decleor Body Firming Oil-In-Cream. This light, firming oil-in-cream helps improve skin firmness and elasticity. It has a fresh, floral scent with hints of Grapefruit Essential Oil, and when used morning and night skin appears smoothed, soft, supple and toned which is just what you want when you are out with friends celebrating Christmas.

If you have any questions, or would like to try out a sample or two, get in touch and we would love to help you find something that works perfectly for you.

Team Pure Beauty

Healthy Halloween Treats

Tags

31 October, apple a day, banana, bases, blood sugar, bones, bunch of bananas, carve, celery, chocolate chips, cool concoction, cool costumes, core, crunchy carrot, cucumber, drinks, eye of newt, five a day goal, freak, fruity frogs, fussy eaters, ghost, guests, Halloween, Instagram, jelly sweet, kiwi fruit, lychee, magic, marshmallows, munched, naughty, olives, party, pepper, photo, pumpkin, sick salad, silver platter, slice, sliced grapes, spiders, spooky snacks, strawberries, supreme, sweets and chocolates, tangerine segments, temptation, toe of frog, tomato sauce, Vitamin C, waistline, wash

With cooler than cool costumes being chosen and tricks being planned, Halloween is in the air and it is coming to get you!

While many of us think of stocking up on sweets and chocolates for 31st October, but these aren’t the only things you can serve up to party guests and doorstep visitors.

We have had a look at some spooky snacks which look, and taste great, but won’t play havoc with your blood sugar levels or waistline.

Haunted pizzas
Make your own bases, then add tomato sauce, cut out ghost shapes from mozzarella and make olives for eyes, and when it comes out of the oven, you will have a wicked haunted pizza that people will be dying to eat.

Serve a skeleton with slime
This idea is super simple but also totally delicious and good for you. Place slices of crunchy carrot, cucumber, pepper, and celery together on a plate in the shape of a skeleton. Then mix the eye of newt and toe of frog (avocado and lemon juice to you and I) and you will have slime to go with your bones.

Kiwi frogs
If you want to ensure that your five a day goal is reached, even when the temptation is to go for the toffees, fruity frogs are a real winner. Layer thick slices of ripe kiwi fruit, add a slice of strawberry to make a tongue, and blueberries are great for eyes, and you will soon have a healthy witching treat, even fussy eaters will enjoy.

Sick salad
This sounds gross, but it is actually really delicious. Buy an extra pumpkin, wash and clean it, carve out eyes and a mouth and put your masterpiece on a large plate. Then, place a cool concoction of fruit like strawberries, sliced grapes, tangerine segments, blueberries and melon balls in the mouth of the pumpkins, and you will have a sick salad just waiting to be eaten – but take a photo for Instagram (#halloween) before you do!

Banana ghosts
Now you see them, now you don’t! Banana ghosts are really simple to make, look brilliant, and are just a little bit naughty too. Take a bunch of bananas (medium-sized and not too soft), peel and chop them in half, stand flat side down on a plate, create mouths and eyes from chocolate chips and you have a seriously spooky offering.

Satsuma pumpkins
For a tempting dose of Vitamin C, why not use a little magic to turn your satsumas into pumpkins? Take a bag of the little lovelies, peel them, put them on a spooky napkin on a plate, add a carrot stick to make a stork and a sprinkling of plastic spiders, and you have created a scary masterpiece. You can also smear celery sticks with peanut butter, strategically place a handful of fake spiders and you’ll have some spooky logs just waiting to be munched.

Just add eyeballs
If you want to really freak your guests out, forget the ice and add eyeballs to their drinks. You can buy jelly sweet versions, or if you want to go for the natural option, stuff a lychee with a blueberry, pierce with a cocktail stick and then rest this on the rim of a glass and watch their mouths fall open!

We hope we have shown you that sweets don’t have to reign supreme when it comes to Halloween, and we wish you a very scary 31 October.

Team Pure Beauty

Random acts of self kindness

Tags

adult colouring books, beach, beautiful sunset, body, bubbles, Busy lives, candles, chill out, coffee with a friend, cortisol, craze, cup of tea and a slice of cake, drawing, drinks, easy, emotional wellbeing, facial, family and friends, feel good, feel good serotonin, feel-good boost, focus, grateful, gratitude, guilt, happy, investing, issues, just say no, light, list, listen to your body, love, magazine, manicure, massage, mediate, mental health, perk, phone, plans, pretty notebook, pub, quiet café, random acts, random acts of self kindness, reflexology, self kindness, self-compassion, self-help book, selfish, simple things, sugary cocktail, therapist, unhelpful feelings, week, weekend, worry, write

We all know that being kind to others can give you a feel-good boost, but what about turning the goodness in on yourself once in a while? Far from being selfish, random acts of self-kindness can give your body some much-needed love, a little self-compassion releases a dose of feel-good serotonin and the chance to sit back and take your foot off the cortisol pedal can only be a good thing?

We know this might sounds a bit ‘out there’ but bear with us and we think you will like at least one of the suggestions we have made and hope you will try it out for yourself.

Write a gratitude diary
Before you go to bed, write down your thoughts from the day and make a list of what has made you happy and those things that made you grateful. It could be having a coffee with a friend, watching a beautiful sunset or simply having a hot bath are just some of the simple things which help life look better. Buy a pretty notebook, make a list each day and you will be surprised at just how much good there is in your life.

Just say no
You might not think it, but it is OK to say no to plans from time to time. We know that people have busy lives and family and friends make constant demands but sometimes missing that party or those drinks in the pub really won’t matter and you will be surprised at how taking it easy can perk you up way more than a sugary cocktail.

Colour in
The craze for adult colouring books isn’t going away, and for good reason. Turing off from the demands of life and simply drawing in between the lines with nothing else to focus on or worry about can be really relaxing and slightly addictive.

Work on yourself
Investing in your emotional wellbeing and mental health can be one of the best things you do for yourself in the long-run. Whether you see a therapist to talk over your issues, have a reflexology session, or read a self-help book and put the ideas into practice, all of these will help you see you who are so you can be happy.

Have cake and tea
Find a quiet café, where no one knows you, take a magazine or book, order a cup of tea and a slice of cake and enjoy the moment.

Try a little retail therapy
Every once in a while, buy something just for you. This doesn’t have to be something extravagant but treating yourself to a unicorn mug, your favourite scented candle or a really soft sweater can remind you that you are worth it.

Have a massage
Every now and again, book a massage, facial or manicure and let someone else look after you for a while.

Chill out
Do a yoga class. Meditate on the beach. Be alone with your thoughts. These are ways that you can turn off from the world and listen to your body, you just need to find what works for you.

Drop the guilt
Too many of us are consumed with guilt and what other people think of us. Leave those unhelpful feelings at the door and learn to accept that you are human and perfect the way you are. Use your time for what makes you feel good and don’t worry about what anyone else thinks.

Enjoy a bath
This one is super easy but often left off lists. Turn off your phone, pour bubbles into warm water, light some candles and let your worries melt away as you really let go and relax. Make Sunday night your escape night, a random act of kindness to yourself and you will end the weekend, and start the new week, looking after number one.

Team Pure Beauty

Festival safety and wellbeing

Tags

bands, black eye, busy, cool, crowded, deodorant, drinks, ear plugs, ears, flag, hay fever medicine, hearing, hustle and bustle, hydration, loo roll, medical centre, memories, money, music, pack, safe, speakers, spiked, stage, tent, torches., vigilant, water, wellies, wipes, YouTube

V, Glastonbury, Reading and many other music festivals are on the horizon. The excitement is mounting, the tents are being packed and plans are being made.

Whilst there is no doubt that festivals are great fun and an amazing experience, it is vital to keep safe and be vigilant whilst you attend, or things can get messy .

We have some handy tips to help you have a great time but keep safe at the same time.

Make a list of everything you need to pack; from loo roll and deodorant, hay fever medicine and wipes to wellies and torches.

Safety in numbers is true so try to stay with your tribe and if you plan to go solo, let them know.

Organise a meeting point with your friends so you can get together at specified times of the day. This way you know you can find each other if you get split up.

It is a good idea to locate the medical centre when you arrive and put a flag on your tent so you can see it when heading back to base.

Keep your mobile phone charged and with you at all times and take out insurance. Add an emergency number, just incase, and a tracker so you can find your phone it is gets lost or stolen.

Leave valuables at home. Yes you might want to look good and record your fav bands for YouTube but not everyone on site will be the model citizen. Keep anything of value with you at all times and even better, leave it at home.

Don’t assume things will be safe in your car or tent and don’t ask new found friends to look after your stuff.

Basic, but keep your hands clean and wash them after going to the look and before eating, you don’t want to get a bug on site.

Music festivals and feet don’t always go together, especially when it rains. Try to keep them clean and dry to prevent blisters, infections and trench foot. None are pleasant and they can all make you feel rotten, so invest in your feet.

Just as it might be wet, it can also be sunny, so take your sunscreen, a hat and glasses.

Drink plenty of water and do it before you are actually thirsty. Keep a bottle of water with you at all times and don’t get hydrated from the combination of dancing, heat, lack of food and booze.

Don’t leave your drink unattended. Any drink can be spiked and the consequences aren’t worth it.

Keep your cool. It will be busy and crowded so don’t get annoyed by the hustle and bustle as things can quickly escalate and the last thing you want it to go home with a black eye.

Alcohol and drugs will be on offer but remember both can affect your ability to make safe judgements, so have fun but be safe.

It might not look cool, but if you need to, wear ear plugs. The music can be really loud and if you are close to the stage or near the speakers, you might want to protect your hearing.

From pollen to smoke from fires, BBQs and cigarettes, there can be added pollution in the air so if you have asthma ensure you take your inhalers and any other medication.

At night, stay on the main roads and routes and don’t go off exploring in the dark.

Never hesitate to get help if you think you are in danger. Don’t worry about making a fuss – it’s far better to be safe than for something awful to happen.

Have fun, make memories but be safe!